Fat shaming or funny? Some not happy about community center sign

WPVI logo
Friday, August 9, 2019
Fat shaming or funny? Some not happy with community center sign
Fat shaming or funny? Some not happy with community center sign. Brian Taff has more on Action News at 4 p.m. on August 8, 2019.

There's a big debate over the line between amusing and offensive.

The controversy stems from a sign outside a community center in Canada.

The billboard in question: on one side, it reads, "Tired of being fat and ugly? Hit the gym and just be ugly."

On the other it says, "I wish everything was as easy as getting fat".

Edmonton resident, Jessica Baudin-Griffin, shared photos of the sign on Facebook writing that it's not humor and only perpetuates body-shaming.

The mother, whose 13-year-old daughter is seen in one of the pictures, goes on say that's not the type of messaging she wants any child to read.

But the president of the publicly funded center says his sign was never meant to fat-shame anyone.

He argues that people are too sensitive and he has a sense of humor about his own weight problems.

The official went on to say the signs change weekly and are always meant to be funny, inspirational or edgy.

The latest version reads, "Be as happy as a seagull with a french fry" and "laugh at your problems, everybody else does."